Combined hinge and bracket.



L. BERTRAND. GOMBINED HINGE AND BRACKET.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Louis Bertrand. I

WMMOM LOUIS BERTRAND, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

COMBFNED HINGE AND BRACKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Application filed December 22, 1908. Serial No. 468,833.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS BER RAND, a S11l)]60t of the King of England, and resident of the United States, residing at Hartford,

tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combined hinges and brackets, more particularly adapted for use upon trunks, boxes, and like closures having swinging coversand wherein it is desired to support the coversin open position, and the principal object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efliciency and utility of devices of this character.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists generally in two leaves hingedly united at their confronting ends and adapted to be connected respectively to the body and to the cover or closure portion of a trunk, box, or like structure, one of the leaves having a longitudinal guide member spaced therefrom, and the other leaf having a rigid brace swinging from its free end and slidably engaging the guid member.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a conventional receptacle, including a closure with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of aportion of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

.3 is a perspective view from the interior of the rigid brace element.

The improved device may be applied to trunks, tool chests, cabinets having swinging closures and the like, and it is not desired therefore to limit the invention to structures of any particular kind. For the purpose of illustration the improvement is shown applied to an ordinary trunk, an end view of which is shown in Fig represents the body of the receptacle and 11 the cover thereof. 7

The improved device comprises a lower leaf 12 adapted to be attached to the body 10 p 1, and in which 10' by screws,rivets, or other fastening devices 13, and provided at its upper end with a knuckle 14, andan upper leaf 15 adapted to be attached by screws, rivets, or other fastening devices to the cover 11, and provided at its lower end with knuckle 17 connected to the knuckle 14 by a intle 18. The two leaves thus form an e 'ectual hinge connection between the members 10-11, and any required number may be employed, but as the improved devices which include the leaves 12-15 are precisely alike, one only is shown for the purpose of illustration. Gonnected to the outer face of the leaf 12 is a guide bar 19 having offsets 20-21, the ends of the bar being connected by rivets or other fastening devices to the plate 12, the member 19 being thus arranged longitudinally of the plate 12 with its central portion spaced therefrom, thereby forming an efiectual guide device. At its lower end the olfset 21 is wider than the body of the bar 19 whereby stop shoulders 22-23 are produced. Hinged at 24 to the free end of the leaf 15 is a rigid brace member 25, preferably formed in a single piece bent into channel shape and provided with a transverse slot 26 through which the body 19 of the guide extends, the

brace member thus being slidable upon the member .19. The lower end of the member 25. which is in the form of a transverse bar bears upon the shoulders 22-23, when the brace member is in its lowest position, and thus effectually supports the closure in the open position. The member 25 being in channel shape transversely is thereby strengthened and stiffened, and to enable the brace member to fold closely against the rear face of the'members 10-11 when the latter is in closed position, recesses or notches 27 are formed in the edges of the member 25 where they bear over the knuckle portions 14-17 at the juncture of the members 12-15, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. By this means it-will be obvious that a simply constructed and effectual device is produced whereby the members 10-11 are hingedly connected, and the latter effectually supported in open position, or adapted to swing backrearwardly of a vertical line in the usual manner of supporting a trunk or box closure, the coaction of the shoulders 22-23 and the lower end of the brace maintaining the brace member in proper position, as will be obvious.

The improved device may be constructed of any required size or of any required mat-h terial, and applled to trunks, boxes, or like receptacles of various slzes and to receptacles employed for various ,p nposes.

Vhat is claimed, is

device of the class described con i pr ising an upper leaf and a lower leaf hlnged'ly united at their confronting ends, a .guide ,device extending longitudinally of the lower hingedly united to the upper plate at the free end thereof and With a transverse slot whereby a transverse terminal bar 1s formed .to slidably engage over the guide member,

said brace bearing by its lower end against said stop shoulders when the brace is in its lowest posit-ion.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my slgnature, in presence of two Witnesses.

' LOUIS BERIBAND. lt iitnesses THOMAS GRAHAM, Jos crrr Cn viun 

